Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Mrs. Hardy.

And I'm so pleased that you have decided to join me for today's RE lesson.

We're going to have a great time learning some new things and finding out about what different people do.

Ready? Let's get started.

Today's lesson is symbols of belonging, and it comes from the unit Communities: What Does It Mean to Belong? By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to say, "I can explain how a symbol can represent belonging." In our lesson today, we have three keywords that I would like us to learn and remember that will help us with understanding today's learning.

What we're going to do is go through each of the words.

I will say it first, and then you will repeat it after me, and then we'll talk about the definition.

Ready? Let's begin.

So the first word that we are looking at today is symbol.

So my turn, symbol, your turn.

Brilliant.

My turn, symbol, your turn.

Fantastic.

Now, a symbol is a picture, sign, or object that helps us to understand what someone believes or where they belong.

The second word we're looking at today is belong.

So my turn, belong, your turn.

My turn, belong, your turn.

Wonderful.

So to belong means to be accepted, to be respected, and valued within a group.

The last word that we're going to look at in today's lesson is mezuzah.

My turn, mezuzah, your turn.

Fantastic.

My turn, mezuzah, your turn.

Well done.

Now, a mezuzah is a tiny scroll with special words from the Torah, which is the Jewish holy scripture, and it's contained in a small case on the door of a Jewish home.

So all of these three words are going to be used in today's lesson and to help you understand better about symbols of belonging.

Now, today's lesson on symbols of belonging has got two parts.

The first part is, what are symbols, and why do people use them? The second part of the lesson will answer the question, how do symbols show belonging? So let's begin with the first part, what are symbols, and why do people use them? Now, Laura is here to explain why it is useful to learn about a range of people in religious education.

And she says, "We can better understand people's beliefs and worldviews, and how they make a difference to their daily lives, if we find out what is important to them and talk to them about the way they live." So, today, we will look at the symbols and objects people use in their everyday lives to show they belong.

What are these? What do we use them for? Well done if you knew that these pictures are symbols.

A symbol is a picture or object that stands for something, it tells us something quickly without using words.

When we see the symbol of a heart, we know that it represents love.

When we see a symbol inside of a red triangle, we know it is a warning.

Here, the symbol is warning us that there is building work taking place, and it is dangerous.

When we see the symbols for people on the signs of a bathroom door, we know which one to use.

Symbols help us to understand what is happening, or what to do, just by looking at them.

They give us important information fast, so we do not have to read a long explanation.

I wonder what other symbols have you seen? Where do we see symbols? Have a look around the room you are in.

Have a look outside your window.

What symbols can you see? We see symbols all around us.

Where else have you seen symbols? You may have seen symbols on street signs.

You might have even seen a symbol on an important building, like Buckingham Palace.

And on the front gates of Buckingham Palace, we can see the royal crest representing the royal family.

Symbols help people show what is important to them.

A symbol can show a special event.

A symbol can show pride.

A symbol can show identity.

I think we are ready for a check for understanding.

Have a look at these symbols.

Which of the following symbols is a warning? Take a moment to think about your answer.

And as you do that, pause the recording.

And when you're ready to check the correct answer, you're going to press Play again.

Okay, I'll see you in just a moment.

Welcome back, everybody.

We were looking at which of the following symbols is a warning.

Well done if you chose C, the red triangle with the person working and building something is a warning, telling us not to go near, because it is dangerous.

A was a symbol of something that someone was proud of achieving.

And B, the heart, can be a symbol of love.

Here's an example of another symbol.

Symbols can help a person feel they belong.

They can show others that a person belongs to a particular group.

Here is a symbol for a group of children in a school who meet together in a club and are looking at ways to help the environment.

The pictures and words in the symbol help others to understand what the people belonging to this group think is important.

We can see that they think the world is important, and so are the plants and animals in the world.

Here is another example of a symbol.

Some religious people also use symbols.

These special symbols can help them feel they belong to a religion.

These special symbols can show others that they belong to a religion.

The symbols might be worn or kept at home, or used in a place of worship.

Let's have a little check for understanding now.

Is it true or false that all symbols are religious? Take a moment to think about your answer, and think about how to give an explanation for your answer.

Pause the recording whilst you do that.

And when you are ready to check the answer, press Play, and we'll continue with the lesson.

Welcome back, everybody.

We were doing a check for understanding using a true or false statement.

The statement said, "All symbols are religious, is that true or is that false?" Well done if you said it was false.

Now, why is it false? Well, it's false because symbols can be used to represent information about lots of different ideas, not just religious ideas.

Well done if you got that correct.

Now, I think we are ready for our first task of today's lesson, and it's a matching task.

So I want to know if you can match these symbols to what they represent.

So here are three symbols that we've seen already in our lesson today, and here are three explanations.

So first of all, we have somewhere a coat of arms representing the royal family.

Another of these symbols shows belonging to a special group that helps to look after the environment.

And finally, we have a symbol that is about a special sporting event called the Olympics.

Okay, whilst you work out matching these symbols to their explanation, you're going to pause the recording.

And when you are ready to check, you're going to press Play again.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back, everybody.

You were asked to match these symbols to what they represent.

So first of all, we have the coat of arms representing the royal family in the middle here with the lion and the unicorn.

Next, we have the group that is a special group that looks after the environment and says, "Planet protectors," on their symbol, showing that they belong.

And last of all, we have the symbols of the Olympic rings on a flag, showing the special sporting event called the Olympics.

Well done to all of you who managed to match those up correctly.

Fantastic job.

We are now ready to move on to the second part of today's lesson.

And we're going to look at the question, how do symbols show belonging? Now, belonging is important because it helps us to feel connected to other people.

Belonging means you are part of a group.

When we belong, we feel safe, happy, and cared for.

Belonging can help us understand who we are.

Symbols can be helpful in identifying where we belong.

Some people may use symbols or objects to show they belong to a religion or have a religious worldview.

These may be worn, used in the home, or be placed on a building.

So, for example, here, we have a Jewish boy wearing a kippah.

Next, we have a Christian Bible.

And I wonder if you can notice that this person is using a special bookmark with a cross on it, which is another symbol.

And finally, we have the Jewish symbol on a synagogue.

Hopefully, you can see it there in the centre of the picture.

So all of these symbols that might be worn, used in the home, or placed on a building show that somebody belongs to a religion or has a religious worldview.

Now, let's have another check for understanding.

Can you tell me which of the following is a religious symbol? Is it A, B, or C? Whilst you think about your answer, pause the recording.

And when you are ready to move on with the lesson, you press Play.

Welcome back, everybody.

What answer did you choose? Well, well done if you selected A.

A is a symbol of a religion, it's a symbol of Christianity.

The other two are not religious symbols.

Well done if you've got that correct.

So what are symbols of Christianity? We have the symbol of a cross, a fish, the Christian Bible, and praying, represented by praying hands.

These symbols can be a sign that a person is a Christian.

Christians believe in God and follow the teachings of Jesus.

The symbol of their religion is the cross.

The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' love and sacrifice.

You often see a cross in a church, being worn on a necklace, or on a memorial.

To show that they belong to Christianity, Christians read the Bible to learn more about God.

They pray to say, "Thank you," to God, ask for God's help, or to say, "Sorry." They may also go to church to sing, pray, and worship with others.

Some Christians also used the symbol of a fish.

It is called the Ichthys.

This was a secret sign used a long time ago to show that a person was a Christian.

Fiona is a Christian, and she wears a necklace with the symbol of a cross.

She tells us, "I wear this cross because it reminds me I belong to my religion and my church.

It's a special symbol that reminds me of the story of Jesus and help others know more about me." The necklace shows other people that Fiona belongs to her religion.

What are symbols of Judaism? Jews believe in one God and try to live by the rules in the Torah, which is their holy book.

One special symbol in Judaism is the mezuzah.

A mezuzah is a small scroll placed inside a case on the doorposts of Jewish homes.

The tiny scroll has words from the Torah written on it.

These words remind Jewish people to love God and follow God's rules every day.

Touching the mezuzah case is an act that helps Jews feel close to God.

It shows that they belong to the Jewish faith, and that their home is a special place where God is remembered.

Some people gently touch the mezuzah case as they pass by to show respect and remind themselves of their beliefs.

Rafi is a Jew and has a mezuzah case on the doorpost of his front door.

He says, "The mezuzah case on our family's door is a symbol that we belong to the Jewish faith.

When I see it or touch it, it reminds me that God is with us in our home." The mezuzah case shows other people that Rafi's family belongs to Judaism.

Let's have a check for understanding.

So can you remember what is inside the mezuzah case? Is it A, it's just empty, is it B, it has a scroll with words from the Torah, is it C, it has a scroll with a symbol of Judaism on it, or is it D, a quote about belonging? Okay, take a moment to have a little think about your answer and think about how you know your answer.

Whilst you do that, pause the recording.

And when you are ready to check your answer, you're going to press Play again.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back.

So we were asking, "What is inside the mezuzah case?" Well done to everybody who said, "It is B." Inside the mezuzah case is a scroll with words on it from the Torah.

And that is what some Jewish families have on the doorposts of their homes to remind themselves of God.

What do you think this symbol represents? Take a moment to have a close look at it.

Think what does it remind you of, what does it look like, talk to the person you are with about what it reminds you of.

Pause the recording whilst you do that.

And when you are ready to find out what it means, you're going to press Play and come back again.

Welcome back.

So let's find out what this symbol represents.

Now, it's not a religious symbol.

It is a symbol of something that is non-religious.

So can a non-religious worldview use symbols to show belonging? Here's Diane to tell us.

She says, "Yes.

I belong to a group called Humanists.

Some of us wear a badge with a symbol on it, known as the Happy Human.

It shows that a person belongs to the Humanist community.

It reminds me to be kind, help others, and enjoy life by making good choices." The badge with the Happy Human symbol shows other people that Diane is a Humanist.

So let's have another check.

Which of these symbols are non-religious symbols? And just remember that there might be more than one correct answer this time.

So have a look at your three options.

Whilst you're doing that, pause the recording.

And when you are ready to carry on with the lesson, you're going to press Play again.

Okay, I'll see you in just a moment.

Welcome back, everybody.

So you were looking for which of these symbols are non-religious symbols.

And well done to you if you chose A and C.

So the Happy Human symbol that Humanists sometimes use is a non-religious symbol.

And C, the symbol of a heart that might represent love, is also a non-religious symbol.

The only symbol that was a religious symbol was the mezuzah inside the mezuzah case, that was B.

Well done if you spotted that there were two answers that time.

Now, everyone, I think we are able to move on to our final task of today's lesson.

And in this task, we're going to think about Fiona, Rafi, and Diane.

And remember that they all have a symbol that they use, and each symbol represents their own worldview.

So with these symbols, what is similar, and what is different about them? Remember, Fiona had the symbol of a cross, Rafi had the mezuzah inside the mezuzah case on the doorpost of his home, and Diane had the Happy Human badge that she wears to represent her being a part of Humanists.

To complete this task, you might want to talk to the person next to you about what they have in common and what is different about the symbols, you may want to write some simple sentences about what is similar and what is different, or you might want to write a short explanation.

I look forward to seeing what it is that you choose to do.

Whilst you're completing this task, pause the recording.

And when you are ready for feedback, you're going to press Play again.

I'll see you in just a bit.

Welcome back, everybody.

So we were looking at three symbols from three different people who have different worldviews, and we wondered what was similar and what was different about them.

So you may have said, "Each person has a symbol to show what they believe and to show that they belong to their group.

The symbols show something important to that person." And then you might have given some examples.

So you may have said, "Fiona's symbol is a cross.

She wears it on a necklace.

It reminds her of Jesus." You might have said, "Rafi has a mezuzah case on his door.

He touches it to remind him to love God." You may have said, "Diane wears the Happy Human badge.

It reminds her to be kind and make good choices." So for all of these people, they have a symbol that shows what they believe and to show that they belong to a particular group.

But each symbol is different because it shows something different that is important to that person.

Well done to you if you were able to point out what they had in common, what was the same, or what was similar about all of those symbols, and you were also able to say what was different about all of those symbols.

Well done.

Fantastic work today.

Now, let's have a look at a summary of everything that we have learned in today's lesson.

You've worked so hard.

You have found out that we use symbols every day.

We know that symbols give important information quickly.

We know that some religious and non-religious people may use symbols to show they belong to a particular group.

We found out the cross is an important symbol for most Christians.

We know some Jews have a mezuzah case on their doorpost to remind them of God.

And we found out that some Humanists wear a Happy Human badge.

So fantastic work today, everybody.

You have learned so much new information and worked so hard to understand how symbols can show belonging.

I really hope you'll join me again soon for another lesson.

But until then, take care.

And bye-bye for now.